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SANDY — It's no secret how much Real Salt Lake needs a win — the beneficial and bounteous three points in the standings.
It was the primary topic of head coach Mike Petke's postgame comments after the club's 1-0 loss at Seattle Sounders FC last week.
Those comments don't need to be rehashed. But after four-straight losses — a string where the Sandy side has been out-scored 12-4 — it's easy to see why the coach and his players might be a little frustrated.
So Petke told his players, his staff, and even his own inner psyche of the need to "grow up" and, essentially, stop accepting moral victories.
It's time to win. But it's also not time to panic.
"I'm tired of saying 'we're getting so close' … and so are the players," Petke said this week after training at RSL's academy in Herriman. "We don't want to be coming away from games like this and saying things like that anymore. We just have to continue to make adjustments and continue to work hard."
Real Salt Lake (1-4-1, 4 points) will try to right its course Saturday at 7 p.m. MT when the club hosts Orlando City SC at Rio Tinto Stadium (KMYU, KSL.com). Like, RSL, the Purple Lions have struggled in the first month of the 2019 campaign with a middling 2-2-2 record for eight points, tied for the sixth-best (or sixth-worst, depending on how you look at it) record in the Eastern Conference.
And it's not that RSL has played poorly of late, either. They out-shot Seattle 13-11 and if Jefferson Savarino's shot off the post is two inches further left, the visitors likely would've been able to take at least a draw from the road result.
Now it's just a matter of playing that style of soccer — the good kind, the kind that is able to seize hold of possession in unfriendly environs — for a full 90 minutes in Salt Lake City, rated the No. 3 soccer market in the country and a one-time dominant home-field advantage for Real Salt Lake.
"There were times when we had (Seattle) on the ropes, but we'd like to have those more at home," RSL team captain Kyle Beckerman said. "If we can control the game, be in their end more this weekend, that would be a good sign — and we obviously have to finish our chances.
"Hopefully we’ll be on the front foot for most of the game on Saturday."
Orlando could be a good team to snap out of its funk, with a defense that has been spotty, at best, in the first month of the season. Through six matches, the Lions have allowed nine goals, including three in last week’s 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rapids.
Overall, Orlando City has been out-scored 11-9 with just one shutout — a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls back on March 23.
But the 2015 MLS expansion club also has a dangerous offense.
"To me, they're a team that has struggled defensively at times. But they have a very potent attack," Petke said. "They put some goals in and let some goals up … but they are a quality team with quality players. They can open you up with strength on the width, plus down the spine."
A main reason for the Pride of Orlando’s offensive bite is Dom Dwyer, the England-born, USA-naturalized husband of U.S. women’s national team star Sydney Leroux, who has three goals and two assists while coming off the bench for half of Orlando's game six matches so far.
"He's going to give you everything he's got," RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "He's going to be vicious in front of goal. He doesn't need machine terms of chances. We’re going to have to keep our eye on him all game."
If Real Salt Lake can contain him, it could give itself a chance at a victory.
It's not time to panic. But it is time to stop settling for moral wins.
"There's no panic. There's no finger-pointing," Petke said. "That's been clear, starting from the players. The players aren't concerned or anything. We just know that we have to be a lot more clinical in certain instances — not just in front of the goal, but executing defensive shifting, executing midfield pressure, and pushing opposition to areas where we want to push them."
Real Salt Lake (1-4-1, 4 points) vs. Orlando City SC (2-2-2, 8 points)
When: Saturday, April 13 at 7 p.m. MDT
Where: Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy
TV: KMYU
Radio: ESPN 700 AM
Streaming: KSL.com
